PINACE.E 329 



" When green 64*7 lb. per cubic ft., when dry 28-32 lb. per 

 cubic ft. Coefficient of elasticity 715 tons per square in. Co- 

 efficient of bending strength 3-77 tons per square in. Tensile 

 strength (tenacity along the fibre), 5-5 tons per square in. Crushing 

 strength along the fibre, 2-2 -80 tons per square in. Shearing 

 resistance along the fibre, -27 tons per square in. Stress required 

 to indent it, J,, in. transversely to the fibres, 5001b. per square in." 



It is used extensively for general joinery and carpentry, 

 indoor finish of houses, the cheaper kinds of furniture, boxes, 

 scaffold poles, pit-props, wood paving when creosoted, sounding- 

 boards for violins and other musical instruments, toys, carving, 

 matches, wood chip for hats, fruit and flower baskets, match- 

 boxes, etc., and for paper pulp. Its adaptabiUty for washing 

 and scrubbing, and its clean appearance, makes it a popular 

 wood for the tops of dairy and Idtchen tables and dressers. A 

 considerable quantity of wood is produced in Britain, and there 

 are large imports from Norway and Russia. 



Burgundy pitch is the purified resin extracted from this tree. 

 Longitudinal incisions about 1 1 in. wide and deep are made in the 

 trunks, and the exuding resin is collected, melted, and purified. 

 It is used in medicine for plasters and enters into the composition 

 of a varnish. Burgundy pitch is prepared in Norway, Finland, 

 Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. 



Spruce beer, referred to in the generic description, is partly 

 made from an essence prepared from the young shoots and leaves 

 of this tree. The following recipe for spruce beer is taken from 

 Spons' Encyclopcedia of the Industrial Arts, ii, 424. " Essence 

 of spruce | pint, pimento and ginger (bruised) of each 5 oz., hops 

 I lb., water 3 gallons. Boil the whole for 10 minutes, then add 

 12 lb. of moist sugar, and 11 gallons of warm water ; mix weU, 

 and when luke-warm add one pint of yeast. After 24 hours 

 fermentation, place in bottles." Spruce beer is diuretic and 

 antiscorbutic ; it is an agreeable drink in summer, and was at 

 one time considered to be particularly useful during long sea 

 voyages. 



The common spruce is the conifer chiefly used for Christmas 

 trees, and there is a large trade in young trees for this purpose. 

 Overgrown nursery stock may often be disposed of in this way. 



P. excelsa is extensively planted under forest conditions in 

 this country, but it should only be used on thin or wet soils where 

 more valuable species fail. The best results are usually obtained 

 from rather dense pure plantations. The tree stands con- 

 siderable shade, and unless planted closely retains its lower 

 branches for many years. Planting may be carried out at dis- 

 tances of 3-3^ ft. apart each way, and thinning must be practised 

 with great care until the trunks have been cleaned to a consider- 

 abl^ height. After additional head-room has been given sup- 



